“We need history to tell us where we’re going in the future, to remind us of our roots and where we can influence our future. That’s a fact. Every grandfather loves to tell a story to his grandchildren.”

Sir Alex can tell his own grandchildren tales of his spell at Queen’s Park and the day he represented the Scottish League at Hampden.

The Glasgow lad can recount the afternoons he spent on the terraces watching Scotland play the Auld Enemy.